Tripepi Smith is proud to celebrate the City of Indian Wells for receiving the California Contract Cities Association’s prestigious John S. Todd Award at the 2026 Annual Municipal Seminar. The award recognizes a member city that exemplifies the contract cities model by strategically outsourcing one or more core municipal services.
“Being selected for the John S. Todd Award for our Cove Communities partnership with Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert is a tremendous honor,” said Indian Wells City Manager Chris Freeland. “When contract cities work together, we can create efficient and helpful solutions that make life better for our communities. Thanks to Tripepi Smith’s support, we were able to share this excellent example of that, and to even be recognized for it.”
Originally established in 1981, Indian Wells joined Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert to create the Cove Communities Fire Commission, which coordinated regional fire protection and medical emergency services while responsibly managing public resources. In 2025, the commission shifted to focus on broader regional needs, began contracting for fire services individually and was renamed the Cove Communities Services Commission. This partnership model and Indian Wells’ outstanding leadership earned them this award.
“Indian Wells continues to demonstrate what collaborative local government can accomplish,” said Senior Business Analyst Kaetlyn Hernandez. “Earning this coveted award is representative of the City’s hard work, dedication and service to their residents. We congratulate the City for this well-deserved achievement.”
Tripepi Smith Business Analyst Emma Catuara supported the City by putting together the award submission for the program.
To learn more about Tripepi Smith’s award-winning partnerships, please visit TripepiSmith.com/Awards.
About California Contract Cities Association
The California Contract Cities Association is an organization that represents 80 cities and nearly 8 million residents. The association offers educational seminars, conferences, and meetings each year to inform members on recent policy updates and collaborative efforts to address current issues that local officials face today.
About Tripepi Smith
Tripepi Smith is a California-based marketing, technology and public affairs firm that serves for-profit, nonprofit and public agencies. Its unique mix of marketing and technology prowess provides a competitive advantage to agencies seeking to leverage the internet to achieve their communication goals. The firm provides full content creation services, including: ghost writing, collateral development, photography, video production, aerial imagery, search engine optimization, email marketing campaigns and website design and execution. Tripepi Smith’s diverse clients include: City of American Canyon, City of Calabasas, City of Culver City, City of Cupertino, City of Daly City, City of Grover Beach, City of Indian Wells, City of La Cañada Flintridge, City of Lake Forest, City of Livermore, City of Malibu, City of Napa, City of Palmdale, City of Paramount, City of Tracy, CalChoice Energy Authority, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Costa Mesa Sanitary District, Rowland Water District, California City Management Foundation, Renne Public Law Group, West Coast Arborists, Scripps College, Blind Children’s Center and Climatec.
